Melt processable thermotropic wholly aromatic polyester containing polybenzoyl units

Abstract

A wholly aromatic polyester is provided which unlike the aromatic polyesters normally encountered in the prior art is not intractable or difficultly tractable and readily undergoes melt processing with ease. The aromatic polyester of the present invention consists essentially of the recurring units (a) p-oxybenzoyl moiety , (b) 2,5-dicarboxynaphthalene moiety, and (c) symmetrical dioxy aryl moiety (as defined), and is free of units which possess ring substitution. The resulting polyester exhibits a melting point below approximately 425.degree. C., preferably below 350.degree. C., and most preferably below approximately 330.degree. C. The ability of the wholly aromatic polyester to readily undergo melt processing can be attributed to its atypical inherent propensity to form a thermotropic melt phase which is exhibited in the absence of ring substitution. The particularly effective route for forming the wholly aromatic polyester is via a slurry polymerization technique (as defined).

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.